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Many of the large, well-known butterflies — peacocks, commas, red admirals and small tortoiseshells — have now come out of their chrysalis cases and are nectaring on buddleia in parks and gardens. Among them are a few painted ladies — pale orange, with black and white spots — that have flown in from the Continent. But there has been no indication yet of a great influx of these fast-flying butterflies such as we had in 2009. Large tortoiseshell butterflies used to be fairly common until the mid-20th century, but now none are thought to breed here. The caterpillars feed on elm leaves, so dutch